HIGH-IRON DAL PALAK

Great

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Blanch the spinach Blanch the spinach (submerge in boiling water for 1 minute, then ice water for 3 minutes) then, in a blender cup, whizz with the stock cube (or bouillon), and around 300ml water (original recipe for 4 portions, adjust amount of water for your size).

Step 2

Cook down the aromatics In a large pot, fry the onion in plenty of olive oil and a small pinch of salt for 10 minutes on a medium heat. Don’t speed up this step, it’s important and makes the final flavour taste sweet & not bitter. Add the garlic and ginger, another small pinch of salt, and cook down until the raw aroma has subsided (2-3 minutes). Use more oil if you need!

Step 3

Add the other spices Add your ground spices and bay leaf (I tend to add another half tbsp olive oil at this point), fry off and coat everything really well; you’ll know the flavours are infusing when the mixture starts to stick to the bottom of the pan.

Step 4

Add the tomatoes Pour in the tinned tomatoes, stir well to combine, and simmer for around 5 minutes. You want the tomato juices to start splitting at the edge of the pan - you’ll know this is happening when the edges of the tomato juice in the pan begin to look marble-y.

Step 5

Add the spinach and lentils Add the cooked lentils, combine thoroughly, then add the blanched spinach mix. There should be enough water here, but as you cook, a fair amount can evaporate off, so add a splash more water for a soupier consistency if you need to, or cook down for longer for thicker consistency. Taste and season to your liking.

Step 6

Blend the creamy sauce Simmer the dal on a low heat whilst you whizz your creamy sauce ingredients in a blender (silken tofu, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and a pinch or two of salt) then swirl about half the mixture on top of the finished pan, saving the rest for when you’ve served.

Step 7

Serve Serve with fresh herbs, fresh red chilli or chilli flakes, a sprinkle of sesame seeds, and more creamy sauce, then eat with naan or a slice of sourdough toast. Recipes Planner